3531. About the common people, country folk, and the like
At the right side as if from a deep abyss there rose up rolling breakers, which are peoples. In the other life rolling waves of this kind are peoples, as spoken of here and there earlier [277, 2678]. They rose up thus rolling, as if sobbing, roughly, I called it kluncka 1, it was klunckewis 2, I wondered who they were, and it was said that they are from the common people, uneducated in one way or another, not corrupt like robbers - treacherous, deceitful, malicious - but of other classes in great abundance, such as simple county people. I spoke with them, and they knew nothing more than that they know of the Lord, to whose keeping they commended themselves. Other things they did not know, thus being uneducated more than others. Only what faith is, that they know.
Others of the same kind rose up in like manner, but their sobs, as it were, or movements of their rolling similar to sobs, was quicker, and they surged forth very close to the right side. Then others who did so still more quickly, surged forth through the foot, through the body, even into the brain. I realized that these were those who had been more familiar with higher knowledge of faith during their lifetime, and thus belonged to various provinces of the inward regions of the body.
So there are three varieties of these: those who knew almost nothing in life except that they should worship the Lord; others who are somewhat more knowledgeable in matters of faith; then those even more so. Thus there were gathered together from every such class of people those having simple faith. I heard also those who were at the side, for they were reading the Lord's prayer in such a simple manner that there was hardly any literal meaning, but still enough that the inward contents could be opened up. I was also given a sense, due to an odor of dung from heifers and cattle, that they were the kind of men and women who took care of their domestic matters, their cattle, bullocks, and the like.
Footnotes:
1. Swedish for "gulping."
2. Swedish for "in gulps."
3531. CONCERNING THE COMMON PEOPLE, RUSTICS, AND THE LIKE.
At the right side, as if from a deep abyss, there rose up a voluminous mass or flood of people, as great numbers of people appear like such rolling masses or billows in the other life, as I had often observed before. They rose in this voluminous manner, as if with a hoarse sobbing kind of sound. I called it gurgling [kluncka], because it was of a gurgling sound [klunckweis]. Wondering who they were, it was told me that they were of the common people, rude but not depraved like robbers, the deceitful, or the malignant, but of other classes, which are vastly numerous, such as simple rustics. I spoke with them and found that they knew nothing except respecting the Lord, to whose name they commended themselves. As to other things they were profoundly ignorant, unless it were that they had some knowledge of faith. Other similar spirits succeeded in like manner, but their sobbing, as it were, or the modulation of their rolling mass resembling sobs, was quicker. They rose very near to the right side. Then others rose with more quickness [and animation] through the foot, through the body, even into the belly, whom I perceived to be those that possessed, during life, more of the knowledges of faith, and so pertained to the various provinces of the interior regions of the body. There were thus three classes of them, who knew almost nothing in life, except that they adored the Lord, some of them knowing something of faith, others a little more; thus they were collected from all that class of people who are simple in faith. I heard those who were on the side, and they read the Lord's prayer with so much simplicity that it scarcely amounted to the literal sense, still it was in such a manner as showed that their interiors might be opened. It was also given to perceive from the odor or stalls, that they were such as had been devoted to the tending of flocks, bullocks, and similar domestic cares.
3531. De plebe, rusticis, et talibus
Ad latus dextrum quasi a quodam profundo exsurgebat volumen seu fluctus, qui sunt populi, in altera vita tales undae, seu volumina sunt populi, ut passim prius [277, 2678], ii volumatim ita exsurgebant, quasi singultim crasse, vocabam id kluncka, erat klunckewis; miratus quinam essent, dictum quod sint ex plebe, quacunque indocta, non prava, ut qui latrones, insidiosi, dolosi, maligni, sed alii qui magna copia sunt, sicut rustici simplices, cum quibus loquutus, et nihil praeterea sciebant, quam quod sciant Dominum, cujus nomini se commendarent, alia nesciebant, ita indocti prae aliis, modo quid fidei, illud tunc sciebant. Alii similis generis subibant pari modo, sed eorum singultus quasi, seu motus voluminis eorum singultibus similis, citior, ii exsurgebant ad latus dextrum proxime: tum alii qui adhuc citius, exsurgebant per pedem, per corpus, usque in cerebrum, quos percipiebam esse eos, qui magis de cognitionibus fidei norunt in vita, ita ad varias provincias interiorum corporis pertinebant. Ita tres varietates eorum erant, qui paene nihil norunt in vita, quam quod Dominum adorent, alii qui aliquid magis de fide callent, tum qui adhuc magis: ita collecti ex omni populo tali, qui simplices in fide sunt: audivi etiam eos qui a latere, nam legebant orationem Domini, ita simpliciter ut vix esset sensus literae, sed usque talis ut aperiri possent interiora; etiam sentire dabatur, ex odore fimi juvencorum aut pecudum, quod tales essent qui et quae domestica sua curant, suas pecudes, juvencos, et similia.